


Seaside Meets Cliffs

by NebulaViburnum



Category: Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Biology, Character Development, Character Study, Cyberpunk, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Human Biology, Introspection, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, M/M, Multi, Nanopunk, Requited Love, Slice of Life, Steampunk, Suspense, Thriller, Unrequited Love, Weird Biology, minutiae - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 13:11:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2622980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebulaViburnum/pseuds/NebulaViburnum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(A strange crossover I know and has MAJOR SPOILERS for both series especially recent manga chapter for AOT)</p><p>The world use Titans as construction type creatures. Any deviant behaviour is taken care off by specialised military. Eren Yeager works at Marukawa Publishing as an editor. It is a strange place to do a  civilian job after resigning indefinitely in a period of absence from the Recon Corps. Leaving the place without walls and coming to Nippon was also a problem. They house many corporations that actually utilize the Titan project and are trying to make miniature Titans for workplace  heavy lifting. Eren wants to forget that he ever was a soldier. Not to forget Titan shifter. His friendship with Ritsu Onodera makes him happy and fulfilled; at times he wants more. So does the angry Titan inside of him... one day a minor office strain causes him to become a makeshift Titan revealing his secret to Ritsu. There are other mysteries as the pop star Titan shifter Levi who does everything to expose his own abilities. Then there is Armin who tries to hide his attraction for the strong initiator Masamune. And Mikasa who realises that she finds a sort of twin in Yokozawa...can Ritsu and Eren stay together...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seaside Meets Cliffs

 

 

 

* * *

 **Seaside meets Cliffs**  
 **Chapter 1**  
Some unbearable lightness of beings

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

 **S** ometimes, he thinks about the past, however, he does not insinuate the habit. It is a bit cold here. It’s not winter but if you don’t get enough sleep you do feel colder than you should. 

At the end of a cycle people get discouraged and sloppy, slovenly and bitter. Meaning, in _both_ work and personality, it is quite a tricky situation. At the moment he is just trying to be as diligent and conscientious as he can be. He was once a soldier and this alone alienates him from many people. There are many types of people here that have or have not done dangerous jobs, yet not many who are ex-soldiers. Most of them work on another floor. Shoujo manga isn’t really their speciality. And that was a crux of many problems that he had. He was in a sector even female soldiers would not like to come on and work. When he told Mikasa about his new job she almost spit out her tea but then heaved heavily and just gulped it down as though she was severely dehydrated. It was not teasing. It was a bit of an eccentric career choice but Hange was pretty happy because she stated that it was very nice that someone was breaking norms. Eren could feel Armin a bit out of sorts when he told him. Armin was now a tactician and bi-chemist and he thought Eren would be better suited working with him in  a lab but he preferred to stay away from that anything related to those sort of things. Involving himself anyway. Eren resigned from duty with a long leave of absence which was granted because they had other people now and Yeager was sure that if they needed a reserve they would call him to do odd jobs.

“Uh, there you are daydreaming again…” that voice, always soothes him, it is an innocent type of kindness; not inexperienced or naïve just innocent as in not consoling or intense but almost like a warm hug. He finds it a bit irresistible at times.  The figure came forward, “I suppose you have many things to daydream about.” Pausing, considerably, but not too long, “Though I don’t want to intrude on memories. But as you were once part of the Corps I bet all memories are not nice right?” Then that infectious smile, with closed eyes, “Though I think you have some very good memories too. After all killing Titans is more exciting than working in a publishing house.”

Eren Yeager looked at the older man. Ironically, the man who was older looked younger than him. He had grown up in the rustic countryside, was a farmhand and did laborious work. Eren also came from walled cities which were enclosures to breed Titans and cultivate farmland. The other man, Ritsu Onodera, was an Asiatic, an Orient. What they called Japanese of the vast technological country Nippon. Eren noticed that Ritsu had fine hair and good clear, smooth skin which were products of good health and diet. He did not show signs of excursion much but he was nimble and semi-athletic. Compared to Eren’s more muscular, toned and flexible figure of a fighter Ritsu was a graceful swan of sorts.

“I wasn’t necessarily dreaming and I hate thinking of the Recon Corps.” Eren decidedly said so and satisfied with his remark looked a bit more casual with his legs crossed, right leg pointing up and horizontal, left tilted and arms behind back. “Besides, I was reading the new ideas by Muto because I think she wants a Shoujo-shounen crossover sort of story. Frankly, she should just stick to doki-dokis and bishie critical mass.”

“Well, I bet many people said that about you right?” It wasn’t an insult; there was no smile just a question mark, “Isn’t a good job done by a person is trying out new innovations.”

Eren was albeit stilly annoyed, “I shifted disciplines she wants change on the same mattress that may make her popularity fail. Isn’t the voracious diet of young Lolitas and Madonna-poshes and Grunge witches all about the readings? How can she atone if her sales plummet? Besides she is already busy with some volumes. New ideas here may just mean laziness.”

“Well, you got a point there.” Ritsu nodded, “Though I trust Muto-san, I think we should see if there is a potential to the piece or is it just procrastination. After all everyone needs a thorough research.”

There go the honorifics. In his Germanic culture there were hardly honorifics. You either had a rank due to profession or casually call people by their first and/or last names. The Asiatic culture had honorifics and he sometimes got confused by them. Shouta Kisa called him Re-kun or Ren-kun. “Kun” being both an endearing pet honorific at the same time it showed hierarchy of a newcomer or as they would say “Kouhai”. Though the “kun” was the most elaborate of the honorifics to him because it had multi-layered contexts that bypass many words in his dictionary. Eren decided to give Ritsu a nickname too, as he also appropriated the Re-kun or Ren-kun structure of calling him at times, it was Reizen which meant in his Germanic tongue “attract” — because those green eyes which was forest farm like and leaves in summer winds were cosy not were piqued and pinpointed like his turquoise cat’s eye green ones.

“I guess you are right Reizen.” Eren smiled, his smile small but pretty much like a summer day in those farmland, fulfilling and active, “You got a good intuition when it comes to Muto maybe she will yield a good profitable story but you know Takano won’t like this to interfere with our regular schedule so we have to read stuff as in home.”

“Yeah, that’s okay.” Ritsu smiled, widely, as the sun, “I am pretty happy to read in quiet places anyway.”

Eren sighed, “You have the concentration of a battle steed. It’s kinda amazing.”

“Well, it didn’t come so naturally at first. Believe it or not I was a hyperactive child still am so it was my mission to increase my focus. I cultivated this Re-kun.”

Eren smiles, “Well, just like you to be totally honest.” Suddenly a very barbaric analogy came into mind: weren’t the Eotena very honest too? No. Well, honesty was something sentient in his opinion after all food and pleasure were involuntary actions that are easy to slip like a lock of hair. The honesty that Ritsu had was pretty organic and though it seemed ordinary it was something so beautiful ordinary that it shone like sunlight among trees. It was not pedestrian: if he were to acquiesce honesty to Eotenas than that was pedestrian not ordinary as he said it was reflex not a conscious or even body primeval just there after all also Jelly fishes are said to just shock to touch.

“I am used to telling people this nor else they think I am a bibliophile genius which I am not and I hate to be put on that category.” Ritsu smiled again. Then deeply, “Hey Ren-chan, is this life hard for you?”

“Well, I guess it is.” Eren looked ruefully, “I mean I did not expect Shoujo manga production to be so complicated when most of the content to me kinda sucks. I don’t mind the romance I just don’t see girls and boys ordinarily falling in love like that.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Ritsu looked at him quite determinedly, “That’s not what I mean though.”

Eren asked rhgetorically, “What do you mean?"

“I mean isn’t this life too quiet for you?”

Eren took a deep breath. His legs still ghooked he unclasped his arms and folded then in the front, “I left the Corps for this life abnd I am pleased by it what else do you want exactly?”

“Well, I am sure the pressures of the sokldier’s life are excruciating but…” Ritsu smiled sheepishly, “You…uh do get to traverse great heights and feats and live on the edge. Here you get deadlines.”

“You know…” with a very grim-locked face Eren looked at Ritsu who got dazed, “I think they are appropriately called deadlines. I mean I would never called them fixed point or anything similar I am just saying the name corresponds perfectly with what I am supposed to be doing — a dance with death.”

Ritsu blinked: “This from a man who killed despondent Titans?”

“I rather fight a Titan…” Eren smiled sheepishly, “Then go talk to Masamune about delays or even be part of the cycles many a times. It’s very dangerous and is very well skin of teeth edge more so than fighting Titans.”

“I don’t know if you are serious.” Ritsu put hands on hip, “I mean don’t sarcastic. It’s almost gonna be a decade since I have been here.”

“Oi really?” Eren looked a bit amazed, “You working on publishing since your young education days?”

“Young education? Oh no, not from high school, but from my twenties.” Ritsu smiled.

“Wait, twenties, you are not in your twenties now?”

“No, I am thirty-two years old Eren.” Ritsu blinked.

Eren stared.

Ritsu blinked.

Eren looked offended, “Dude, you look so young.”

“Yeah, I have been told that. How old are you?” Ritsu squawked then composed himself all smiling as usual.

“I am twenty-five. Yeah I had been in the Recon Corps to nine to ten years too.”

“I understand at that time the Walled City was selling propagandistic material that any cities outside were not suitable to be lived in and all despondent Titans or Eotenas should be killed am I correct?” Ritsu decided to drink what seemed to be leftover coffee from the morning on his desk. It was a slow afternoon at a cycle’s beginning so there wasn’t any rush and Shouta Kisa and Yoshiyuki Hatori were out to lunch with Masamune on a lunch business date with his old friend but marketing representative Takafumi Yokozawa.

“It was more than propaganda.”  Eren looked quietly at his own coffee mug, it was also leftover coffee, yet his coffee making finesse was limited so there were dark blotches, and a sugary shroud that was not so tempting in the lukewarm spill, “The Walled City is very rustic and backdated. We are living with a luddite based monarchy that prefers that all technology is limited and that only nan-technology and cyber material be distributed to select families in the upper rings of Sina. We did not even know except gossip of strange inventions we were so updated. It was terrible. And we were taught all Titans were more or less evil. Though they helped us till the land and sow the fields we were not told to ask many questions and just stay and work. It was years later I came to know that Titans are manufactured creatures that are used as part of an advanced bio-nano workforce to make goods and high levels of materials and help feed other nations. It was horrible. Of course, there were riots and revelations and soon the military presence inside the Walled City had toppled the monarchy and was able to establish contact with the world outside and tell them to stop being assholes and help with the refurbishing of its inhabitants and economy. Soon, the military had a fourth faction, The Round Artillery, who became a select group of individuals who now were head of the city.”

“I am sorry I was not mentioning its name.” Ritsu looked at his empty mug, “It is Triumviri, that’s the name of the city.”

“We only knew the name of walls and districts not that our nation had a name. It was a slave colony basically . Then again in the outside world…” Eren drank slowly, “There are a lot of slave nations and slum colonies. I guess its pandemic to human greed.”

“True.” Ritsu nodded. “You came from Wall Rosa?”

“No, the most working class one. Wall Maria fell to a despondent Titan outbreak and my mother was eaten by one. That was one of the reasons I wanted to kill Titans. At that time I thought most Titans were bad even if they helped till the land and plantations. I thought they were creatures not meant to be trusted. Of course, my so-called extremism was taken as an offense in the cadet station so I was told to run laps and disciplined as in giving a beating once or twice. For a long time I did not understand the difference between a despondent Titan and a regular Titan. They all looked the same to me.” Eren sipped slowly as if cautiously on a marshy, coffee terrain, “I knew later I was a bit wrong and decided not to pursue so valiantly a revenge as my mother wouldn’t want that too.”

“I guess both of those reasons are concurrent with why you left the Corps right? Stopped being a soldier?” Ritsu finished his coffee, “I think deep inside your mother wouldn’t want you pointlessly being a soldier if it only meant more death and a useless death at that. Also, you don’t feel that revenge is necessary anymore right after all a despondent Titan is not necessary an evil to mankind; what happened may not be unprecedented but it happened more for human negligence right rather than a despondent Titan and so many others were also killed due to the collapse of Wall Maria in Triumviri. I think you just felt that humans were more responsible now then you did then. Was the Titan who killed your mother known to you?”

“It was one of the regulars that tilled our lands , nearby fields, it was a strange one…a one with such a wide grinned-mouth as it looked like it was smiling I think that also stayed with me how it took pleasure in killing my mother. Well, my naivety thought that. It wasn’t smiling it was an un-administrated reflex of itself. No pleasure, no ecstasy, when a Titan becomes despondent it’s just a creature that wants to survive because it feels that it is dying and so it tries to assimilate human DNA orally as though taking a shot of drugs. It was nothing personal to it. It just couldn’t remember my mother also because a despondent Eotena becomes scatter-brained and loses its neurological aptitude to remember the modicum or infinitesimal power that it has to remember details.  Not that those Titans are creatures capable of feeling; they can only feel pleasure as in satiation in eating and also some pain but as they are solar panelled creatures they don’t feel much of anything else. They can understand crude syntaxes and respond to that but details that a four year old can notice are not so understood by Titans. They are just workers. They are not advanced creatures like Pata-Pi they are just instincts put into some vassal of flesh. A zombified pack of cells, nothing more or less.”

The ease in which Eren talked about these things and Ritsu asked had been developed between those dawdling’s of conversations. Snippets of elongations or brevities that put one at a comfortable pace: that was their conversations. Ritsu had at times asked persistent questions that earlier Eren ignored and Ritsu got annoyed only for Eren to get a bit mad and Ritsu madder. Yet Eren did well answer them not as a sign of submission rather a deliberate need to acknowledge Ritsu and also be acknowledged by him. It wasn’t abusive or intentional though on each side. The first big fight they had was Ritsu asking about Titan anatomy classes he wondered about Titan organs and Eren told him to take a hike because he wasn’t here to talk about those things. Ritsu then with all honesty said he was a discrete and discreet bastard which made no sense because he was once a soldier. This got Eren mad enough to say that he wasn’t a pedigreed, pampered coward working as a desked pencil-pusher on some non-Walled terrain. Ritsu was obviously offended and said at least he wasn’t a resigned loser who obviously had emo disposition. Eren grabbed his collar and Ritsu grabbed his. But then Ritsu actually overpowered him and pushed him off and said that all he asked was about Titans not how his panties were polka-dotted. Eren then said a glaring insult that Ritsu better be eaten by a despondent Eotena for that’s all he was a crapshoot. Ritsu got so mad he threw a coffee mug that broke into splinters adjacent to Eren and screamed that how can such a hypocritical non-compassionate man have been a soldier and if he is a Walled loser on the inside. 

After some hours Eren came and apologised and talked about Titan anatomy. Eren also apologised for being reluctant to talk about his past in such a violent anti-social way and that he understands the curiosity and thinks it isn’t bad it’s just he can’t always talk about things so easily. Ritsu apologised too then stating that sometimes he got carried away. Eren then confessed he admired Ritsu a lot because he was very strong-minded about his work and that this was a work where one inarguably had to be strong-minded; so, he was hoping that Ritsu treat him as a kouhai and teach him things. Ritsu hugged Eren then. This non-guarded display of affection touched Eren a lot. It was because of the apologies from both sides and a genuine respect for both that worked them out as friends.

At that fight Masamune Takano didn’t intervene because he understood that any good friendship will need its tensions, in fights or in revelations. He was once the boyfriend and love of Ritsu Onodera; they tried to resuscitate their relationship twice but it failed. It was because he had become impatient and a bit too aggressive with Ritsu; a part of him couldn’t tolerate that Ritsu had well sort of left ten years ago when they were in high school he did understand it was partly his fault too. The first time they tried to be more sexual and they both recognized that flaw and took a break. Then Masamune ended it the second time finally in a very frenzied fight with both of them punching each other and Ritsu stating that he was just taking revenge for 10 years ago only to have Masamune affirm that saying it was partly that but partly because he just couldn’t stand that Ritsu was so different now and he was more ambitious and more level-headed, and just not so impatient as him nor so well satisfied. Funny, yet ironically, Masamune realized that Ritsu loved certainties or even a game-plan with his risks but Masamune was happier going with the flow. Or rather his personal flow and Ritsu could not correspond to that.

 After two years of on-off trying and that last fight Ritsu and Masamune gave each a kiss on the cheek and a café lunch with coffee as a celebration of a goodbye and a welcoming of friendship. It was a closure but also a very hard one because it meant that they couldn’t be with each other unless they changed. And they did with being fine as friends. They had loved. That love was special but now it wasn’t any more as a present but as a past. Ritsu was becoming more ambitious and Masamune more adventurous in his field. Masamune became more patient and Ritsu a little less hyperactive; they slept together once on Ritsu’s 29th birthday and that was when they knew that maybe it was done and over. It was rather because they could no longer have a space or even a non-space where their differences and similarities met so beautifully that they quit in a good old fashioned way. Those were in their twenties and they were fond of each other still but now it was like a deep bond of trust rather friendly but not sexual, loving like that or romantic.

Besides, he was happy seeing that Ritsu was happy and bonding with somebody else because Masamune had more friends than Ritsu. He admitted that Ritsu may be exuberant but he was quite empathetic and special which made others not mix with him much. And ever since the other An incident he was pretty upset for Ritsu because An was a bit vengeful but she was mostly happy to take the reins and be her own person. Ritsu was being obstinate for some months before re-establishing communications with An and that made things good. But Ritsu hadn’t been making as much friends or even acquaintances as he would personally like for his pal’s health. Well, he was good friends with Shouta Kisa and somewhat close to Yoshiyuki Hatori but well Masamune felt there should be others. So, when he saw a natural and also cultivated chemistry between Eren and Ritsu as people he was happy thus did not disapprove of the fight though Shouta screamed at him for letting it get so far and so he admitted he found it amusing and decided to clean the mug-mess. Least he could do right?

“Hey Eren; sorry for getting so personally deep.” Ritsu rubbed his hair, “But for the longest time I wondered if this was well something I really wanted to ask so I did.”

“It’s okay.” Eren smiled, “I am pretty surprised that you pickpocketed some reasons out of my skull on why I left the Corps. Some of the reasons are that but others I am inclined to avoid now if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, I guess this person is waiting for a Scheherazade to finish his tale in a 10001 Nights huh?” Ritsu laughed to the blank face of Eren, “Uhmmm…” continuing as Eren tilted his face, “It’s a great book of fables and folklores called _A Thousand and One Nights_ originally or _Arabian Nights_ ; it’s Arabic name is _Alif Layla_ as in the Thousand and One Nights. The narrator for most of the stories is recent wife of the sultan called Scheherazade who is telling tales to the impatient sultan or she will get killed.”

“Uh, I don’t think I will get killed by you or you by me or that we will stop talking to each other soon but I should read that book it sounds interesting.” Eren looked at his empty and it was casually snatched by Ritsu. Both of their mugs were green, only Ritsu’s was greener and had a nice rain forest type shrubbery on it but Eren’s was the insignia of the Recon Corps.

“Let me make coffee. I can’t wait to start cramming on the new story my Muto as soon as Shouta comes back; don’t forget to practise cutting circles in blank A4 sized paper…” Ritsu said as Eren groaned, “You do make a bad job at almost ruining the layouts good thing we make copies. You are great at diagonal incisions but you lack detailed cutting tips I suggest you take knitting as a hobby Yeager.”

“Teach me Onna.” Eren grinned, “Onna-there-ya.”

“I am gonna throw your mug and break it.”

“Oh okay okay.”

“Well, I don’t mind teaching you.” Ritsu smiled, “Besides, I don’t like sitting idle if I can help it.”

After Ritsu meticulously brewed coffee and Eren came to watch saying he would like to see how to brew things properly as he was inefficient in doing this (Ritsu smiled and said it was totally okay) they had their talks. The lightness in Eren was that he felt more haphazardly bouncing up and down without much progress so he was happy that Ritsu was so engaging. Ritsu felt the same way he preferred to have someone different and interactive to talk to. He was jealous of Eren’s accomplishments because his life was pretty boring to him and he only had a slew of romantic attachments and failures to mark his calendars by.

“What about you, how was high school like?” Eren hadn’t ever actively asked about his life, he admitted once he didn’t know a locus to ask from and was shy of sounding stupid.

“Uh, it was academically good. I couldn’t get along with people. I was very shy and quiet. But I found comfort in reading books.” Ritsu thought with a small smile.

 _Like I had my anger and farming, not so different,_ Eren pensively deducted.

“The Walled City is not so different than these urban sprawls. We have more long educations true but we pretty much have a similar system.”

“Well, I think you guys may not have immediate pressures but you do have well pressures more I see in the details of success.”

“Oh yeah…” Ritsu concurred, “Every day in my childhood felt like an exam at times when it came to academics and how I must do good in this and that. You do gauge on what is more normal behaviour here and how to carry mannerisms.”

“But I heard you know Masamune for a long time right?” Eren asked, “I heard Shouta say that you were in school together.”

“Yeah in high school we both loved reading books. I also actually supervised Akihiko Usami, a guy’s books I read when I was in Onodera publishing.” Ritsu looked a bit excited now, “You won’t believe he is such an eccentric and kinda strange but I do like his writing.”

“So, you liked literature editing before?”

“I still do, I got into Marukawa Shoujo department by accident and I wasn’t sure of it first but then I thought it could be interesting too. Oh, have you read any works by Akihiko Usami? Ritsu had been a sheepish and that put a smile on Eren too.

“Nah,” Eren laughed, “I haven’t read anything literary except some comics in my life.” Then laughed some more, “I am not as well read as you Reizen.”

“Well, I can you give an omnibus book of poems and “Midair” by Usami you might like both books.”

“Yeah sure, but I don’t read that fast.”

“You can take it slowly. I can also read you some parts if you like.”

“That’d be so cool it’s awesome thanks Rits-Reizen.” Eren hugged Ritsu, it was one of the first times he did that. Ritsu blushed a bit but realized how soft yet strongly built Eren was. The beautiful muscles were relaxed and had a rhythm, he blushed a bit more realizing he was reading his body a bit too like the spine-covers of things, the synopsis. Comparted to him Ritsu was less built, not chubby but somewhat meek. This made him a bit self-conscious.

Eren felt a certain groove and a nice structure in Ritsu’s body. He felt that Ritsu had a natural grace if not muscular build and that on a 3D manoeuvre line he would be able to beautifully make great twists and turn and what even distract enemies effectively. That sort of tact really was admirable even as a hypothesis. The gentle beating of his heart, feeling small-sized but echoing loudly, calmed Eren. It was a heart of a person who seemed well-adjusted. Eren was envious because his heart on the contraire was jumpy and quite tensed.

Ritsu felt Eren’s heart light but also well-paced like a forest-walk. It talked a good deal but also valued reflection. Eren may have been younger than him but he was a good two inches taller. The heart was a bit restless but even in that it had a nice touch for it was not vulgar. It was quite poetic. Unconsciously, but with some talent, Ritsu hummed a tune that resounded what Eren’s heart felt like and Eren looked questioningly at him, “Your heart feels like that I am happy you don’t feel so panicky but a light rabbit like jump.”

Eren just blushed. To have someone talk that way about his heart. It just sounded very beautiful.

They weren’t hugging but Eren was a bit reluctant to let go of Ritsu so he let his arms hang a bit Ritsu whose shoulders were so in tune with that that their bodies seemed to sync into a posture. This made Eren a bit afraid. So many years as fighting and yet he found this not with many people and not so nicely either even with veteran combatants.

Soon, lunch time was over and Shouta and Yoshiyuki had returned. Masamune did not but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as he was already having a working lunch so he could use a breather if he was cutting corners. The hullabaloo of this outfit made Eren a tad bit nervous because it wasn’t so organized as the barracks or the strategy room or the dining halls of Levi’s Recon Corps. It was pretty chaotic or at times calmly chaotic or something pretty nonchalantly abstract that it scared him.

Speaking of Levi ~

—      “Let’s go and pounce on something!

Let’s know what life can mean about

Don’t leave you heart so wanting

It’s only is a curious cat, a perfectly curious cat

And there are other things that can kill it too

Like STDs and rugged Marco Polo in a tide

Let’s not stop being careful but let me live

Like that jumping cat does, don’t domesticate me

Let me grin like a Cheshire cat and howl at the moon

From some comfortable alcove-alley way of my heart!”

 

“Wow, for a soldier that guy can sing.” Shouta looked excitedly at the TV, “Hey, Ren-kun isn’t it true you worked with Levi Ackerman?”

Eren looked at the brown-haired black haired youth who was deceptively small — the young man was thirty-seven years old and apparently married to a man who was heaps younger than him — and, also looked like a cherub but Eren who read a bit more on people recognized him as a mischievous sort. And very clever too somehow he was thinking that he was a good strategist. If this guy worked with Armin then it is a deadly force for sure…Not to mention that Sasha who knew she can formulate plans while eating potatoes and meat…

“Yeah, I did, but I think he was more muted then and a complete OCD cleaning freak.” Eren sort of blurted it out before he could contain himself, “Uh, just forget I said that.”

“Yeah, lol, what are you gonna pay me?” Shouta looked at him with frolic ablaze that Eren groaned, “Let’s eat some lunch together tomorrow.”

“It has to be the day later.” Masamune came in and smiled, “All of us have been invited to a lunch meeting tomorrow by Zen Kirishima. He wanted to meet you,” motioning to Eren, “Heard about our new ex-soldier member from Triumviri and was excited. Said it would be great that he can meet someone from the Recon Corps. Shouta, on second thought, take that as a treat because well the lunch is in Eren’s honour.”

“Hai, Hai, okay.” Shouta winked, “Seems God is putting destiny on your side Eren.”

“Who is Zen Kirishima?” Eren asked a bit bemused.

“Eren.” a small folded paper was softly brushed in a smack motion on his head by Yoshiyuki, “I told you to read all your files and as usual you are profiting from procrastination.”

“Uh, I kinda, uhmmm,” Eren smiled and rubbed his head, “Lost that inventory file.”

Harder whack, “You Dobitok what are you doing. Stop being an idiot and get up to date with these things from Ritsu.”

“Eren, don’t lose files treat them as your 3D manoeuver gear.” Masamune said bluntly, not annoyed, but firm, “You need to know important things. If Levi can sing you can do many things too. Just because you were a soldier once doesn’t mean you can’t be other things.”

Eren looked ashamedly down, “I am sorry I am not used to keeping large catalogues like this. The only bookkeeping I have done is reports. I am sure to be more careful next time.”

“As long as you are conscientious now.” Masamune smiled and then started circling some extra dialogues for a scene, “Oi Ritsu, have you read Muto-san’s new pitch?”

“Yeah I liked it and I am gonna read it again with all the others.” Ritsu then looked at Shouta and Yoshityuki, “Eren and I read a new story idea by Muto-sensei she has decided to do an action Shoujo manga and I think we should let her.”

“But her demographic are more slice of life oriented are they not?” Yoshiyuki motioned wisely, “I know we do a lot of genre mixes but her fans have been more romance fans.”

“Wow a science fiction.” Shouta started reading a bit, “It’d be different like that small one-week series we did called “Detective Kanon” that was pretty popular surprisingly wasn’t it?”

“Yes but that had a lot of romance skits in it and this proposal is more risky I mean it has a lot of action in it. What’s it called “Attack on Animas”, the first scene she suggested was a giant mouth attempting to crack open a domed-city. Sounds very different. Maybe we should do a poll.” Yoshiyuki surmised, “What do you think Eren?”

“I think the poll is a good idea.” The novice nodded, “But we shouldn’t completely rely on it as fans can change right we can test run in small portions and see also what the response is.”

“I have a confession to make…” Levi started speaking in a bit loud volume from the TV backdrop and Masamune looked interested, “Zen said that someone from the station told him that Levi is confessing something big today I wanted to know what.” He gestured.

“Do celebrities have confessions aside scandalous ones?” Yoshiyuki chucked a bit.

“I don’t mind a few scandals here and there.” Shouta laughed.

“Do you know what it may be?” Ritsu asked Eren kindly who was carefully seated on with his arm serenely on his cheek when he “huhed” and just smiled.

“I don’t know Levi did a total 180° shift on a bearing of 90° at a lighthouse shift so I don’t think I know what it might be. If it’s drugs I won’t be surprised I have never seen the captain this care-bear like since like never.”

They all laughed a bit, including Masamune, when the news shocked, “I am Titan Shifter and I am quite proud of that.”

“Wow really…” Shouta looked a bit puzzled as Yoshiyuki jaw hung loose, “Aren’t Titan Shifters a bit well secretive and also told to act normal in society?”

“Eren, you looked surprised, you don’t know this?” Ritsu touched his shoulder and Eren was a bit numb and wide eyed.

“That news is a big rocker. Titanic as his music huh.” Masamune lit a cigarette casually but even he was not composed, “I didn’t expect that.”

“Titan Shifter are part of society and I am also a making appositive change! So I have written a song about this!”

The guitars blazed and smoke and smog came out with lights burning of rainbow colours as Levi did a punk-pop number:

“My flesh is an extract; a portable poison or potion  
however you liked it stirred!  
feel me I am not hapless and you are not helpless  
we are just cuddling and curdling our bones!

If I am a hero don’t take me always on genes-sake!  
If I am a bit flawed here and there I am clashing on skin  
happily hungry for your affection!  
No rogue No rogue I am just a rogue lover tonight!  
Catch me with your heart tonight  
you make feel titanic!”

With that Levi bit his thumb and became a large 17meter Titan with red exposed muscle tendons and large greyish pointed ears and shoulder length blackish-grey hair. The crowd was divided with some terrified and some bursting with excitement.

Eren watched in stunned silence, _Ritsu doesn’t know, no one knows…How am I to keep this secret too?_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
